Iran vows response after US seize cargo ship

Iran has vowed to retaliate after the United States (US) attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged commercial ship departing from China to Iran.

Iran’s military command asserted that by doing so, the US had violated the ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month, which is due to expire on Wednesday.

“We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military,” said a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

On Sunday, US President Trump announced on Truth Social that the cargo ship received warnings from the US Navy but “refused to listen.”

He said that the US Navy “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” with US Marines then taking control of the vessel.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the strait would be "completely open" to commercial ships for the duration of the 10-day Lebanon ceasefire period.

However, Trump refused to remove the US blockade of the strait, which he said would “remain in full force” until an agreement was reached, leading Iran to reimpose its restrictions on the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz remained closed amid an ongoing standoff between Iran and the United States, with Iranian officials signalling that a final agreement remains out of reach.

On Truth Social, Trump also said that US negotiators will once again be heading to Pakistan on Monday for a second round of peace-talks with Iran after the first round of talks failed to produce a breakthrough.

Initially, Iranian state media refused the prospect of further talks with the US. 

However, the Head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee Ebrahim Azizi later said that Iran decided to continue talks with the US, but insisted that this "does not mean to negotiate at any cost,” and that Iran would not comply “if the Americans intend to turn this into a field of excessive demands, based on their bullying approach.”

"We're offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don't, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They'll come down fast, they'll come down easy and, if they don't take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT'S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!" said Trump in a lengthy post on Truth Social.